


Wiessner's Anthology of Magic

by AngelaEvil



Series: Realm Reminded [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Background information, Headcanon, Hybrid-connection, Inactive Fic, Lore - Freeform, Other, Soul's textbook, names that will show up later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 23:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9465815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelaEvil/pseuds/AngelaEvil
Summary: A collection on the workings of the magical world by modern and contemporary researchers such as M. Ortice Rattageist, W. D. Harding, Professor Tesslea, Jean-Renee Dupont, Miev Krishnof, Klein Burgher, and Sedric Smith.





	1. Magic: A Primer

**Author's Note:**

> There are several notes in the margins written in a plain font. Down the left side a few music notes are scribbled in a simple melody. The ink glows slightly green.

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you, the aspiring mage, to the broader terms of magic, magic use, and the magic cycle. Much of this information is not given to the disparate clans and has only really been emphasized in magic curriculum within the last fifty years from the publication of this text.

First, as you are no doubt aware, the practice of magic within view or notice of Mundies is strictly forbidden. As young mages grow older, they are know to push against this rule from the council and now your questions of ‘why’ shall be addressed. Magic is viral in nature and contains mimetic properties where in any individual who has the capacity for it, once realizing it is possible, can accomplish it. While it could be argued that such spread of magic is a good thing, the writers of this text would like to point out a fully grown human with the powers of a fully grown mage and the control of a newborn is not at all a good thing.

Though large swaths of the population are capable of magic, as it is just as inherent to humans as language, there are certain individuals with no talent for magic whatsoever. These individuals have proven the darker side of human nature time and again, actively killing and stealing magic from monsters and even other mages. These people are called "Black Souls" or "Black Hearts"- depending on their origin- and they are covered in more detail in the history chapter.

There are two categories of magic, Wild magic and Standard magic. It is important to note that Standard magic is simply referred to as ‘magic’ in the general population. Magic works are not miracles, though some spells may be misconstrued that way given their powerful effects. Magic is also on a closed system. On the individual level, ones magic might increase over the course of their lifetime, but there is no such dramatic spikes in global magic presence. Mages can only use Standard magic, our souls were not designed to handle raw wild magic. That is the realm of monsters.

Wild magic is the other state magic can take as it travels through the cycle. No doubt you’ve heard of the water cycle, magic functions very similarly. Certain locations have been known to build up unprocessed magics, usually of the wild variety. These in the olden days were called Ley Wells, and it was assumed that magic formed geometrically accurate lines throughout the world. This was less than factual. While direct observation of air-born wild magic appears as a fractal grid its properties are far more akin to radiative heat produced by most living things.

Humans also produce Wild magic, though when coming from a human it gains the new classification of Ambient magic. Ambient magic follows the body-heat analogy very closely, you ooze it, not use it. Though some spells will draw from Wild or Ambient magic once the mage leaves the cast area, these are far more advanced magics than are appropriate for you to study just yet.

If humans produce Ambient magic it must go somewhere, yes? That is where monsters come in. Monsters also shed magics in much the same way. Only this time it takes on another new name, Echoed magic. Why Echoed? Well when a human is exposed to large quantities of only one specific monster’s magic, their own magic will take on that monster’s properties. For example, elemental monsters are favored among mages as their magic, while powerful is very stable. If a mage were to live among fire elementals for a few months, they would find that all their magic had become fire-based, and any spells written to produce or utilize fire would be exponentially more powerful. That mage may also pick up on Wild magic spells and be able to mimic them. This buildup of Echo magic is not permanent and will wear off as it is used.

In summary, the Magic cycle is a closed exchange of magical energy between monsters and humans that is mutually beneficial as monsters live off magic and humans gain power, health, and increased life from the exchange.

Magic as used is very flexible. Each person’s magic is as unique as their DNA. But like any skill, magic must be practiced until it is mastered. White Castle College has stood as a place of higher learn and fine tuning for human mages for millennia and it is there many who wish to continue in the field of magic study attend. While growing up you doubtless noticed that certain tasks came more naturally to you or that you could do almost everything fairly well. These are indication of the type of soul you posses. That is a chapter to itself as well, fear not. But, magic comes in certain types more easily performed by mages of a corresponding type.

The first type is **projection**. Many mages think that creating a sold or ethereal object out of magic should be simple. It is most certainly not. Monsters are beings entirely comprised of magic, and therefore are intimately and instinctually aware of all the minutia of projection. Even monster children must practice this school of magic as they grow into adulthood, some more gifted in it than others.

Projection as a mage will look much different for you when compared to monsters. It is the expression of your soul and nature; more often than not it won’t even be a physical object. Say a person has a vocal projection, their magic can be utilized through their speaking or singing, or even shouting. This person as they master their magic may go from subtle emotional influence to actually controlling another. If they ordered you to an action, regardless of your feelings toward that action, you would do it. Vocal projections are not uncommon either, yet another reason the council has banned the use of magic on or near mundies. It may even be used as a direct weapon.

_Projection includes any natural aspect that can be modified by the use of magic from a summoned weapon to an augmentation of one's physical abilities._

The next type of magic, **Aura** , is used passively. Simply put it is the field of Ambient magic surrounding a mage’s body mixed with Standard magic that mage actually uses. Ambient magic thins out the aura while Standard thickens it. Certain mages will learn how to manipulate this aura, spreading it outward like a dense fog or pulling it into a singular point to create impassible barriers. A **barrier** is one of the easiest things to create for a mage, though it is only as strong as their will and as durable as their magic density lasts. Creating a barrier pulls all of the Standard magic of your aura into one location and can be whittled away over time.

Those with exceptionally high will power or magic content can create shields that can stop gunfire. It is important to note that _certain projections can get through this barrier_ , or if the attack comes with enough force that the mage must burn through their Standard magic to hold it the barrier may waken or break altogether. In these circumstances it may take the mage a few minutes or even days to recover enough magic to fight again. _Barriers are risky for those not proficient in them._

 **Restorative** magic is very much what it sounds like. This is a very difficult school of magic to master as the mage must be familiar with the type of injury inflicted but also the best method of repair. The chemical energy a body might expend to heal itself is instead taken from the mage’s power reserves. If there is not enough power to complete the spell, instead of failing like other forms might, the spell will convert the caster’s own chemical energy into magic-- essentially increasing the metabolic rate-- until the task is either complete or the caster perishes. _Never attempt to heal death_ , it will kill you and the person you tried to revive will not return.

Lastly is **Enchantment** , likely a school you are most familiar with. It is by far the easiest school of magic and one that very few mages are truly gifted in. This school takes the caster’s soul and the Standard magic they use and loosely binds it to an object. This object can become a family heirloom, gaining magical properties of its own as many generations of mages have possession over it. Enchantment is for humans what Projection is for monsters, it comes to the mage naturally and without much thought. As a result, many don’t know the finer points of Enchantment as they turn their focus to other studies.

This school of magic has played a major role in our history with unfortunate and dark consequences.

Enchanted Objects can be anything and depending on the caster’s skill can do almost anything. These tend to be practical such as a notebook that never runs out of pages, or a pen that writes on its own as you think. Even a broom that sweeps for you. For an Enchanted Object to work, it needs a power source, that being Standard magic. Though as a mage’s skill increases so do their options. Some of the more versatile tools run off of Ambient magic instead. Or if made by a monster, the object might run off of Wild magic.


	2. Magic: Soulless Vessels and Enchanted Objects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are several heavily highlighted sections with various papers sticking out. While the textbook does not include detail in the creation of Enchanted objects, the notes are filled up with references to other obscure texts. All likely contained in The Library.

Perhaps it is best to get this out of the way before launching right into the history of Magic. Now that you know some basics to the different types of magic and its connection to mages and monsters we can begin applying the intricacies. For many years, mages have been innovating, as all humans are prone to. Magic takes energy from one's soul and surroundings as in all spells. But certain small things that would otherwise be a burden and waste of magic needn’t be. In the first century, far before the WCC was established, several brilliant spell casters came together and discovered how to use magic’s properties to their advantage.

Since Wild or Ambient magic has the tendency to remain on any object or in any location where strong emotions are present, be them positive or negative, they discovered how to apply this effect with direction on objects of their choosing.

As the versatility of Enchanted objects increased many of the more powerful wizards discovered way to create books in which to store their arcane knowledge and yet keep it secret. These Grimoires as they would come to be known sometimes even had a sliver of personality in them, able to communicate in basic or complete fashion and normally grew stronger as generations of mages took charge over them.

With the advent of magical items as widespread commonalities, mages became more inclined to keep them; they took a substantial amount of effort and creativity to create. It only made sense that magically inclined families began to surface. They structured themselves after the monarchies around them, gaining power in their own rights and keeping these valued magical tools in the hands of mages who knew how to use them properly.

From here, humans and monsters began intermingling more. Conversations and partnerships formed between monsters and human mages. Familiers, as the monsters were called, bound their souls to their human companion, forming a contained magical loop where both could directly absorb the magic they needed from each other. And though very similar to the process of monster marage, as that had been the basis for the initial contract spell, binding was not a permanent commitment. There was a way for both parties to annul the contracts, though it was rare. Bound monsters were far more dependant on their humans then the mages were to them. Abuse of this relationship was likely to happen, especially when a mage became sickly and crippled if their monster died before them, and the monster was terrifyingly likely to fall down- the equivalent term for death in human culture- if the mage died first.

The solution came in the form of a morally grey discovery. **Soulless** **vessels** are the reformed remains of a monster coupled with what few shard of their souls have yet to dissolve- fragments of a monster’s mind. In monster folklore, the deceased monster’s magic, and therefore their will, still lingered in their dust which is why it is so important for the dust to be spread over things they truly loved in life in a timely fashion. It was a form of blessing what the monster left behind.

These bits of folklore were proven correct when an unnamed mage created the first soulless vessel with the cooperation of his dying familiar. It is unclear if the monster truly ‘lived’ again as the object possessed all the basic features of a monster soul but was not sentient. That mage became obsessed with correcting the errors in his technique, finding a way for both monster and master to obtain immortality. One caveat of his technique that no one has found a way around, much less is willing to try, requires that the monster and mage be bound, whether by choice or by force is irrelevant to the magics involved.

His experiments were reviled by many when he started capturing, torturing, and transforming still living monsters into Soulless vessels against their wills. To use a Soulless vessel one must only be able to dominate the will of whatever monster formed it, not a very difficult task in many cases as monster souls are structurally weaker than humans. That is not to say that the human will win every time; these new soulless vessels were created with the monster’s soul still intact and therefore were far more problematic to control. More oft than not, there was one all consuming emotion raging through a monster during the transformation and the wielder of the Soulless vessel would then have to overcome that feeling if they were retain their sanity.

No one is sure how much of his research was continued by his students in the centuries to follow but eventually it came to the Council attention that they had branched off into living human souls.

While they had similar properties to both Soulless vessels and Enchanted objects, it is vital to note that Cursed Objects, an object created from or bound to a living human soul, are dangerous and sentient. To use one the mage must either dominate the other human soul or be dominated by the other human soul. It is not a healthy condition, permanent mental and physical damage is practically guaranteed. Anyone found attempting to make a Cursed Object will be executed. In the whole of the magical orders, over all the many centuries, the death penalty has only been applied to this one practice. _Never engage in the intentful or unintentional creation of a Cursed Object_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: wacratedtardis.tumblr.com  
> Patreon: patreon.com/angieofthewarcraftedtardis


	3. W. D. Harding|| A Dissection of Monster Anatomy #7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Lallo, the winner of Hybrid's first raffle. He requested a chapter on undead monsters and here we are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I had a difficult time collecting all of the data presented in this paper. While humans seem to hold an intrinsic fascination for creatures such as those listed, not many academically viable papers remained from The Great Library after it was set ablaze. Fortunately, at his majesty's behest, I was permitted to travel over the known world in search of data. My favorite place to see had to be the Incan temples. My host was quite kind and I was sure to keep myself clean of any pathogens that might have damaged the peoples there. What surprised me the most was the consistency of undead monsters in these far off lands. While tales varied widely, such was not the case for the creatures themselves."  
> "I'm very interested in their magical abilities and have taken steps on a new project already. This series will still continue tough I'm not sure how many decades I have left on this earth. My choice to avoid taking a familiar was not widely excepted in my youth, and now at the end of my life I'm beginning to see their point."

The following is an analysis of the undead subspecies of monster and traits unique to them. It will be consistent with previous entries in this series. Unlike other races of monsters, undeads appear more around human settlements and with less variation than in other common monster species such as elementals. 

Undead monsters appear to hold independent hierarchies from other authorities in monster society, meaning they are more likely to turn on a monarch of a monster nation than their own leader. My survey suggest they might not be able to disobey another undead class monster higher in the hierarchy.

The following are sub classifications of undead and notes specific to their species. While there were not enough specimens to verify all conditions, the few Hybridine that exhibited undead features seem to adhere to the same base instincts.

 

**Revenant** : Any monster or creature that could be classified as Undead. Must have a soul. Primarily creatures of wrath and vengeance, never attempt to stop a Revenant once it prepares for battle and unleashes all its magic. They will not be able to contain the built up energy and it will either escape them or drive them mad until its task is complete.

  * They are exclusive carnivores meaning the only consume meat, specifically humans. They must have a raw magic diet as well to be healthy. In the times gone by that meant consuming humans souls, but now methods of domesticating monsters such as foodstuffs made of magic, have proven viable. Revenants can have monster food, however they are even more susceptible to frailty due to malnourishment. For this reason, undead are not advised to be domesticated familiars of inexperienced mages.
  * Wild Revenants tend to live in large colonies of no fewer than twenty members, and prefer underground nesting sites. As a whole, most revenants are natural artisans, able to create massive, twisting structures from magic that are permanent as opposed to other monster constructions which take a consistent supply of magic to maintain. They were also one of the few species of monster who did not utilize mobile cities, preferring human burial grounds for permanent homes.
  * Most revenants display a human or above human intelligence with heightened senses (hearing, smelling, taste, etc.). They have predilections to the anatomical and physical sciences, with certain individuals showing remarkable professions for mathematics. 
  * All revenants live for centuries, assuming they have proper nourishment. After studying their magical physiology I theorize they may be able to live indefinitely so long as there is a steady supply of magic of humans available.
  * All revenants are technically sexless, though certain proportions or vestigial sex organs may be present. The rule of thumb is he unless she. There are a few cases where the revenant will not choice either sex; many of these are ancient spirits who’ve lost interest in shifting gender dynamics. As a note to any further study, this is not a field that will have any true impact on findings. It is a false correlation.
  * On the subject of proportions, as most revenants are a mix of several primary types (described below), certain features of one subspecies may be present in others too. (eg. Skeletons having fleshy portions, Draugen having skeletal faces, Weights being more physical than incorporeal, etc.)
  * All revenants produce an aura of magic- very much like a mages. It functions as a way to detect other undead and communicate, it also takes the place of scents in most biological functions. The aura tends to line up with the limits of their bodies, this is not always the case for undead monsters. The aura is what fills out clothes on many individuals where it would otherwise be flat. It also functions similar to body heat in humans and has some minor sensory abilities. Eg. If you were to stick a hand into a skeleton monster’s rib cage, even without touching them, they would still feel _very_ uncomfortable. The skin on your hand would register them as internally warm, the same way touching another human’s skin might register as warm. **_It is not encouraged you do this_**.



 

**Subspecies** :

 

Skeletons

  * Usually larger and heavier than the typical human skeleton, even the most anatomically correct monsters’ proportions do not match. They are just as carnivorous as their kin, though they depend more on magic than flesh. Blood is the most appealing to them, as are living bones. Certain, more feral skeleton monsters would even consume their prey alive to improve the taste. They have no qualms about how rotten a food item is. It is very hard for a skeleton monster to grow ill, however they are much more fragile than their kin. If a skeleton is deprived of magic, or purposefully starving itself, they may only have a handful of ‘Hope Points’. This fragility doesn’t extend to members of the skeleton family that regularly consume humans however. 
  * This revenant subset sometimes lacks the ability to emote and so depends on communication through color. The shades of their glowing eyes (or in the case of fleshy eyes, the iris) will change color depending on mood or emotion they are attempting to communicate to others. It is notable that there are only about seven or eight colors that can be produced and color shifting itself is a learned behavior. This has its own interesting implication on the scale of monsters’ visual capabilities and social structures. [red= angry; cyan= curious; blue= firm or obstinate/ stubborn; green= thankful, genial, happy; yellow= upset or indignant; orange= irritated/ bold; purple= cautious (or considerate depending on situation); pink/ peach/ lavender= aroused, romantic (most frequently a flash of color in their pupils)] Note: other revenants can understand the colors intrinsically though most cannot mimic them.



 

Draugr (plur. Draugen)

  * Typified by flesh. The most ‘whole’ of the many subsets of revenant. They are very powerful and have the strongest magic of any subspecies with only one exception, Liches. Draugen and Liches have many features in common, such as exothermic bodies. They leech heat from the air to warm themselves, though to a much lesser extent. 
  * Draugen normally posses the thicker bones that Skeletons have but also dense, lean musculature. On the whole this combination gives them an emaciated appearance. Though, unlike Skeletons, Draugen can appear in any size from human to giant. It is very difficult to kill Draugen as their souls are especially resilient. Sometimes, their souls may even leave their bodies for a short duration, during which they Draugr is in a comatose-like state.
  * Certain inhuman features have been recorded on Draugr before, such as three or more rows of teeth, gills, horns, extra limbs (arms, legs, heads etc.), and their internal biology is entirely different. [Source from vivisections on comatose Draugen]
  * Draugr also have the unique ability to appear in human’s dreams, manipulating or consuming the energies expended while a human sleeps. This is more customary for Guardian Draugen, believed spirits of humans that still habitate a corpse. Those Draugen and any other undead in their clan will protect an area from all invaders, allowing only the native peoples to remain. While it seems possible, the notion that the Draugr are living human’s ancestors watching over them is entirely flawed. They are a cunningly adapted monster guarding its food source.
  * Draugen are the most self sufficient undeads, often striking off on their own after a few centuries to create their own nests. As they are predominantly nocturnal, Draugen prefer to sleep in crypts and tombs during daylight hours.
  * Most Draugen are not of the Guardian variety, and are in fact very hostile to humans. They can spread plague very easily decimating a human population in just a few hours should they choose.



 

Wights

  * Also denoted as wraiths in certain human mythologies, a wight is most clearly defined as a living corpse. Most wights seek out a body of some kind while more powerful undead opt to habitate a recently dead human body or continuing their existence as an ethereal being. Though most wights are considered monsters, the general consensus is totally inaccurate; they are not dead humans. The monster soul, even a boss monster soul, cannot persist long after their demise
  * While wights may consume flesh and blood, it need not exclusively be of human origin, though it will ultimately do nothing for the wight’s survival. They live off raw magic. Wild magic, not the kind that other monsters consume. The only known source of wild magic that would be sufficient for wights would be living humans, monsters, or other undead. In this regard, wights tend towards being exclusive cannibals. After a few hundred years, the wight may only need to feed once every other month. Like many of the undead, it is unknown if there is a true limit to lifespan so long as food is available.
  * Other popular terms for wight are ghost, spectre, phantom, ghoul, ghast, or winter maidens if the wight is female in appearance, specifically in eastern nations.



 

Liches

  * A lich is never born but made, any undead may become a lich with exception of the Soulless Undead (corpses reanimated via magic of another powerful undead monster but are not themselves sentient or independent of the monster’s magic). Most liches take thousands of years to form, the revenant that becomes a lich growing stronger over the centuries. 
  * A Lich many choose to feed and on what it will. The most powerful liches combine the dietary habits of all greater undead while weaker liches may choose to abstain from certain foods, specifically if they are near a major human population. 
  * Unlike many other undead, a Lich produces a second aura commonly called ‘sway’ that can influence the will of other nearby undead. Greater or lesser undead that choose to follow a Lich will accept their sway, getting a small portion of that Liches’ power in exchange for servitude and protection. Once a sway is accepted it can never be removed and that Lich may exercise their will over the mind of the other undead, effectively manipulating the undead independently.
  * Like Draugen, Liches are exothermic, sapping the heat from their surroundings. While it may take centuries for a Draugr to cause permafrost, a Lich can completely drain all life from an area in just three days, making it cold, barren, and inhospitable for farming should they choose. The freezing has little effect on industrial populations that ship their food in from more fertile cities. Curiously, the freezing temperature is prefered by all undead, especially Ferals, as any rot or decay that may occur between meals is negligible if not non-existent.
  * Once a monster becomes a lich, their power will increase steadily with the number of creatures under their sway. All other monsters under that sway may also feel the effects of a fuller clan. Clans formed by Liches tend to be more durable than those formed by other greater undead, as all the members may know when and where danger may strike them near instantaneously. Adventurers and would be heros are less likely to saunter in and slaughter your people if they have to deal with a nigh immortal demi-god that is effectively death incarnate. That being said, Liches are _very rare_ and there may only be one every era or three. A Magic item made from the dust and soul of a lich may be thousands of decades old at the youngest. It is unknown if any such artifacts exist, or if the Lich retains sentience.
  * A Lich can actually create other undead so long as they have a corpse of varying age, a surplus of magic, and enough energy to construct a new monster soul (concidered assexual reproduction) for the new creation. Most of the time, lingering wild magic still within the body dictates such things as personality and appearance. It is unknown if the new monster really is a resurrection of the dead human or an entirely new individual. There have been claims at both.
  * Liches are thought to be one of the few undead monsters that actively experience heat cycles, normally on a monthly basis, though the duration shortens dramatically to just over two days. As such, most Liches will select two or three mating partners, that number increasing over time. If the Lich has a favorite, they may link souls with that greater undead, exponentially increasing that individual’s power and durability. This is beneficial for obvious reasons. Like all monsters, binding a soul can only be done with one individual, not an entire harem, though offspring can still be produced by any member of the harem if an effort is made.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warcraftedtardis.tumblr.com | Poke Me  
> patreon.com/angieofthewarcraftedtardis | Feed Me  
> wiessners-anthology-of-magic.tumblr.com| Poke Him

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: warcraftedtardis.tumblr.com  
> Patreon: patreon.com/angieofthewarcraftedtardis
> 
> Hybrid is the first book in this series and contains the most story. This is a side book for those more curious in the magical world Hybrid is set in and should there be a sequel to Hybrid, it is advisable to read through this short selection of knowledge ahead of time. I doubt there will be an in text iterations outside the bare minimum as it's not very necessary for a mage in the first person to narrate their thoughts as an explanation to the audience.


End file.
